1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to vehicular suspension systems and, in particular, is concerned with a controllable link assembly connected between a control arm and a stabilizer bar.
2. Description of the Related Art
The use of stabilizer bars in automotive suspension systems is well-known. The purpose of a stabilizer bar is to control vehicle roll during handling maneuvers (i.e., fast lane change, heavy cornering, etc.). A relatively large diameter stabilizer bar offers greater resistance to roll than a relatively small diameter bar. A drawback of a large diameter stabilizer bar is that while roll resistance is improved, ride quality decreases as impact harshness of wheel disturbances from road inputs is increased. On the other hand, a small diameter stabilizer bar inputs less impact harshness to a vehicle, but does not provide the desired roll resistance.
Generally, an end link is connected between a control arm and a stabilizer bar. Known end links are formed as either rigid or flexible elements. When the control arm moves as a result of a road input, the end link transmits all or part of the movement to the stabilizer bar. The spring effect of the stabilizer bar is then transmitted through an opposite end link to a control arm on the other side of the vehicle to resist the rolling motion of the vehicle.
The art continues to seek improvements. It is desirable to provide a stabilizer bar system having the roll resistance of a large diameter bar with a low impact harshness found in a small diameter bar or in a vehicle without a stabilizer bar. Such a system will produce superior handling and ride characteristics, without sacrificing either one, as is often done in conventional passive stabilizer bar systems.